Starter mounting



May '25, 1948 CALHQUN 2,441,990

STARTER MOUNTING Filed Sept. 2, 1944 INVEN TOR. EVAN A. CALHoa/v ATTOR/YEX Patented May 25, 1948 Application September 2, 1944, Serial No. 552,398

7 Claims.

-T'his invention relates to internal combustion engines and has particular relation to a starter mounting for such engines.

A great many farm tractors have been constructed without electric starters. These tractors have been provided with hand cranks for starting. Of course such a method of starting not only is dangerous, but also frequently results in'injury to the operator, such as broken arms and the like.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide means for applying a starter to the engine of a farm tractor or the like to supplant the hand crank mechanism.

Another object of my invention is to provide a special starter mounting of such character as to utilize the old flywheel housing of the hand crank engine, discarded or repaired starters from starter motors, and a special mounting for applying these starter motors to the flywheel housing of hand cranked tractor motors.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specifications, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a starter mounting constructed according to one embodiment of my invention as it appears when mounting a starter on the flywheel housing of a motor.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of a starter mounting constructed according to my invention as it appears before it is applied to the flywheel housing.

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of a flywheel housing illustrating how the starter mounting, Fig. 2, is applied to the housing, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the flywheel housing showing the opening cut for the reception of the starter mounting illustrated in Figure 2.

In said drawings, the numeral It indicates the position of the clutch housing plate of an internal combustion engine such as used in a farm tractor.

The numeral H indicates the clutch and flywheel housing of such a tractor. The flywheel housing of a tractor is approximately cylindrical and is provided with an enlarged flange l2 for fastening the housing to the crankcase and block 15 of an internal combustion engine. The flywheel housing is also provided with ears l3 and M for engaging the housing on the supporting frame of the tractor.

In preparing an engine for a starter mounting according to my invention I remove the flywheel housing and cut an irregular, semi-elliptical opening H2 from the front edge of the lower side wall portion of the flywheel housing 1 L'forward, and a semi-circular opening H0 in the forward face H l of the flywheel housing connected with the semi-elliptical opening. In this manner an opening is provided to permit the starter shaft and starter gear of the starter motor to project into position beside the flywheel.

A starter mounting constructed according to have a cylindrical flange I81 which engages the flange H52 of the starter mounting.

A gear ring is then shrunk or otherwise secured to the flywheel of the engine in such position that the drive gear of the starter will engage the ring gear to start the engine when electrical energy is applied to the conductor 2!. The engine is then assembled and a storage battery mounted on the tractor for supplying power to the starter motor. A suitable switch is connected in the conductor leading to the starter motor.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications ma be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mounting for an engine starter for mounting said engine starter on a flywheel housing having a generally cylindrical housing portion and a rear face, with an approximately semielliptical opening in the cylindrical portion of said housing and an approximately semi-circular opening joining said first opening and formed in said rear face, said mounting comprising a part having a generally annular shaped starterreceiving flange and an approximately semicircular lip extending therefrom, the said mounting adapted to be welded into place in said opening.

2. A mounting for an engine starter for mounting said engine starter on a flywheel housing having a generally cylindrical housing portion and a rear face, with an approximately semi-elliptical opening in the cylindrical portion of said housing and an approximately semi-circular opening joining said first opening and formed in said rear face, said mounting comprising a generally tapered casing part adapted to fit within the semi-elliptical opening and having at one end an i wardly extending starter-receiving flang 7 i g h latter n a flywheel housing having a genand n approximately semi-cylindrical lip extending beyond said flange, and adapted to fit' within the said semi-circular opening'and to 'be:

welded therein. v V

3. A mounting for an engine starter for mounting said engine starter on a flywheel housing having a generally cylindrical housing portion and a rear face, with an approximately semi-elliptical opening in the cylindrical portion of said housing and an approximately semi-circular opening joining said first opening and formed in saidmear face, said mounting comprising a casing-like part having one portion formed as a part of an approximately conical section adapted to fit within the semi-elliptical opening, a starterreceiving flange at the larger end of said approximately conical section, and an approximately semi-cylindrical lip extending from one side of said flange, and adapted to fit within the said semi-circular opening.

4. A mounting for an engine starter for mount ing said engine starter on a flywheel housing having a generally cylindrical housing portion and a rear face, with an approximately semielliptical opening in the cylindrical portion of said housing and an approximately semi-circular opening joining said first opening and formed in said rear face, said mounting comprising a casing-like part having one portion formed as a part of a cone approximately, and open at one side, a starter-receiving flange secured to the larger end of said approximately conical portion 4 and comprising an annular portion, and an approximately semi-cylindrical lip extending from 4 said flange generally along the other side thereof opposite the said conical portion.

5. A mounting for'an engine starter for mounting the latter on a flywheel housing of the type having an approximately semi-elliptical opening in one wall and an approximately semi-circular opening in an adjoining wall thereof, said mounting comprising a part having an approximately conical casing section adapted to fit in said semielliptical opening and provided with a starterreceiving flange, and an approximately semicylindrical lip adapted to fit in said semi-circular opening.

6. A mounting for an engine starter for mounte'rally cylindrical housing portion and a rear face, with anapproximately semi-elliptical opening in the cylindrical portion of said housing and an approximately semi-circular opening joining said first opening and formed in said rear face, said mounting comprising a casing-like part adapted to close said semi-elliptical opening, a starterreceiving flange carried thereby, and a curved lip on said flange and adapted to close said semicircular opening.

"7. The steps in the method of converting a hand cranked tractor motor into an electrically started motor, which steps comprise: cutting an approximately semi-elliptical opening in the cylindrical part of the flywheel housing adjacent the rear face thereof, cutting an approximately semi-circular opening joining said first opening in said rear face, providing a starter mounting having a generally conical section and a generally semi-circular lip, welding said conical section in said semi-elliptical opening and welding said lip in aid semi-circular opening. 7

EVAN A. CALHOUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Bouschor Feb, 1, 1944 

